


Good News

by Daidaiiro



Category: One Piece
Genre: Crocus finding out the straw hats are back, Drabble, Fluff, Gen, Laboon acts like a three year old in a bath tub, Newspapers, general happy feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 23:11:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15873630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daidaiiro/pseuds/Daidaiiro
Summary: “Good news, Laboon!” He couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice. “They’re back!”OR: Crocus finds out the straw hats are back and tells Laboon.





	Good News

The News Coo dropped the paper in Crocus’ hand before taking the money from his other and flying away. With the newspaper under his arm, he walked over to the lighthouse to sit down on the bench he almost broke his back to move there. 

As he settled down, Laboon broke the surface to look at him. The badly-painted pirate mark on his forehead had long since been washed away, but it had fulfilled its role. No new scars had been added, and the old ones had healed up relatively nicely. You could still see them clearly, but his forehead didn’t resemble mashed meat anymore. 

Laboon whined loudly at him. 

“Yes, yes, you brat,” Crocus complained without heat. “I’ll read to you.” 

Ever since that rubber idiot had left, Laboon insisted on hearing everything the papers said about the mismatched, eventually everything the papers said. That fixation on everything happened after the war, after they disappeared. After all that. Crocus guessed he was looking for hints of their return. 

Laboon had taken it hard, crying and almost ramming his head against the rock wall again, but stopped himself. Then Luffy had returned to Marineford to pay his respect, and Laboon had settled. Now he was just waiting. 

And waiting. 

2 years of waiting for them both. 

It finally paid off. 

Glancing down at the front page, Crocus broke into a grin. “THE STAW HATS RETURN” it announced over a picture of the rubber moron, the swirly flirt, and the sleepy sword-enthusiast standing on a platform. 

“Good news, Laboon!” He couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice. “They’re back!”

Laboon broke the surface and stared at him. The mark that straw idiot had painted on him two years earlier was gone, but the wounds had healed, and no new ones had been added since. 

“They didn’t die, the tenacious bastards.” Crocus showed him the article, even though Laboon couldn’t read and was too far away to get a good look at the picture. 

It was still good enough for him. Laboon howled in glee, splashing water onshore and drenching Crocus. 

“’Soul King’ huh,” Crocus mumbled, looking at the dissolving remains of the newspaper. “He’s gotten skinnier.” 

“Laboon.” 

Laboon quieted down and looked at him. 

“That Brook,” he began, looking carefully at Laboon. “didn’t abandon you.”

The reaction was immediate. Giant tears flowed into the water, and Laboon did the whale-equivalent of sobbing. 

“He joined that guy’s crew,” Crocus deciphered the wet letters. “He’s coming for you, they all are.” 

Laboon’s sobbing unsettled the water, and big waves crashed onto the shore and Crocus’s already sopping shoes. Crocus didn’t mind. 

“He’s got a few more crewmembers, too, now,” Crocus continued. “A raccoon dog, a tall woman, and a weird guy in a speedo.”

Excited squeals of glee mixed in with the sobbing. 

“I bet they’d all like to meet you.” 

Laboon splashed in the water, sending a small tsunami onto both Crocus and his lighthouse. He was swept off the bench and found himself on the ground, wet and dirty. But he just couldn’t get himself to scowl. 

“Maybe they’ll actually do it,” he said, still lying on the ground, staring nostalgically at the sky. “What do you think, Roger?”

**Author's Note:**

> First work in this fandom, how did I do? Please tell me!


End file.
